Max in StoryBrook
by jamacd97
Summary: Max is a foster kid in the foster system in StoryBrook. She finds out some awful news then finds out some amazing news.
1. Chapter 1: Max

Max

Chapter 1

Max was struggling to keep her head up and keep walking. She had been feeling quite disgusting for the past 3 months, but she was too scared to tell her care worker because nobody in the foster system wanted a sick kid. It was bad enough she was almost a teen because all foster kids knew that no one wants a teenager.

She stepped over the puddle but ended up just tripping and falling into the next one. She got to school with a soaking wet uniform. Her teacher, Mary Margaret was not going to be happy. She slumped into class as the bell rang and found her seat.

Her current foster mom wasn't too helpful with homework so when Miss Blanchard asked for the homework Max only gave a half-written paper. She kept her head down in class and never made eye contact. The lunch bell rang and as she was ducking out, she heard her name being called. She groaned and turned on her heel walking back towards the desk.

"Max have you been feeling okay lately? You seem to be very distant. As well as you seem fairly pale." Max just shrugged it off.

"I'm just tired. My family has three young kids ri- we have 3 under 5 and its very loud at my house." Miss Blanchard sighed and let Max outside.

The 10-year-old sighed, no body at her school knew she was a foster kid, but they did know that her clothes were very dirty and torn. Her hair was usually up in a ponytail because that's all she knew how to do. Her homework was never done because she never had help from her foster parents, and she had been diagnosed with a learning disability.

She sat down on a bench and watched her foster parents' biological children eat they lunches. Everyone in the house knew that Adam and Michelle favored their real children over any of the foster siblings. Not that there were that many. Just her and whatever young kids got left but they always got adopted.

She could feel the contents of her stomach rushing up her throat as she ran into the bathroom. Of course, with her luck she ran into Miss B as she ran and of course Miss B followed her into the bathroom as she barely made it into the stall to throw up.

Her foster parents were called and of course they were not happy about it. She got in Michelle's car.

"I said that was your last chance. I'm calling your caseworker tonight to get you another foster home. I've dealt with your crap for 5 years and I'm sick of it." They pulled into the driveway and Max got sent into her "room" which was part of the attic. Not really suitable for a kid to be living in but at least she wasn't treated like Harry Potter.

She didn't have to take care of the family. Just do the chores and get ignored. It was better than her last house. She got in bed and stared at the ceiling. She was sick of the shit her foster mom put her through. She was glad she was moving.

Unfortunately, the last foster home near her was a single woman and her caseworker was dreading putting her in that home. She put her headphones in and blasted her current favorite band, Twenty-One Pilots drowning out the screaming and crying from the younger kids.

She could feel herself starting to drift off, so she didn't fight it. She just let it happen.

She woke up to her door slamming open and her foster dad screaming at her to wake up and get her shit together. She sighed sitting up, her head spinning she had to lay back down for a few minutes to get her head together.

After the room stopped spinning, she sat up slower and stood up grabbing her bag from under the bed. She shoved most of her stuff in the bag and went downstairs to get a garbage bag to put the rest of her stuff in.

"Maxine are you almost ready to go? it's getting late and I want to get home before midnight." Max nodded, went up the two flights of stairs and shoved the rest of her stuff in the garbage bag. Throwing the garbage bag over her shoulder and putting the backpack on she went downstairs and followed Caroline in the car.

"Are we going to the ladies house now?"

"Yes, and don't call her the lady. You know her name fine well and its impolite. Buckle up let's go." Max buckled her seat belt and turned to look out the window.

She watched the house she had spent half of her life in fade out of view. They passed the library and the school and the main town center. Her favorite hiding spot and her only friend's house. Henry had been missing from school today and of course he missed the day she finally had been given up on.

The car pulled into the parking lot and she got out of the car grabbing her two bags. She followed Caroline up the three flights of stairs, having to stop a couple of times as she could feel the world starting to spin. She finally made it up the stairs and Caroline knocked. The doorknob turned and the door opened.


	2. Chapter 2: The new home

Chapter 2

Mary Margaret opened the door. Max knew who it was but was nervous because this could really screw things up. Until a second ago Miss B had no idea Max was a foster kid. She didn't know that Max's biological parents didn't want her.

They didn't care about her. That Max was nothing but a dirty, annoying, useless foster kid. The 10-year-old refused to lift her eyes to meet the warm brown ones of her teacher.

"Maxine look at her and say hello."

"Hello Miss Blanchard." She glanced up at her teacher, the only adult to ever care enough to ask if she's okay. "Max. Come in sweetie. I've made some soup since I know you probably wouldn't want anything to heavy after today."

Caroline looked at the two girls she stood between.

"What happened today?" Max sighed and walked in and to Miss B knowing she didn't want to be around Caroline when she found out that her last foster parents had lied to her.

"I threw up in school today. I haven't been feeling to well lately." Caroline took a deep breath and turned on her heel.

"I'll be back in half an hour." She left closing the door behind her leaving the student and her teacher turned foster parent behind in a silence that could slice a diamond. Max turned to her.

"I won't be disruptive; I'll do my chores and I'll keep to myself. Am I missing anything? Oh yeah. I won't talk to you unless it's in class about the schoolwork." Mary Margaret frowned her brow furrowing and took a step towards the young girl.

"Why wouldn't I want to talk to you at home?" Max looked up at her and tilted her head.

"because I'm just a foster kid. You'll get sick of me after a while or get sick of having to stay home to take care of me when I get sick. It's what all foster parents are like. I haven't met a single foster parent who never hi- who actually liked me and wanted to spend time with me."

Mary Margaret smiled and took a step back.

"Maxine. I am not like any other foster parents you may have ever had. I won't hit you, yes, I knew what you were going to say. I want to spend time with you. I already know what a wonderful young lady you are and how kind and sweet you are. I will ask you to do chores but that is to just keep the house tidy. There are two bedrooms upstairs. One belongs to my roommate Emma, the sheriff who already okayed it, the other will be yours. I don't know how you'll like it so maybe tomorrow after school we can go shopping to decorate it. For now, it's quite late so why don't you go upstairs, get your pjs on and brush your teeth and meet me back down here so we can work on your homework quickly. Sound good?"

Max stared at her then nodded slowly.

"Uh… yeah I guess" She followed Mary Margaret up the stairs and down the hall to her room. Her teacher opened the door to a room that was bigger than any room she had ever stayed in before. "Woah… this is huge…."

Miss B smiled and looked at her student.

"This is yours. It is the smallest in the house but seeing as Emma was here first and she is an adult. But I figured that it would be okay."

Max nodded silently and threw her ratted backpack and the garbage bag on the bed and started hanging up her one school uniform that was still covered in mud.

"Hey Max…" The young girl looked up at her teacher and followed her to the bed where they sat side by side. "I know that you think that because I'm your teacher things might get screwed up or that I'll think less of you because you're a foster kid but it's not true. Like I said before, I know how wonderful and intelligent you really are. Being a foster kid won't change that. I'm very happy that you're here. That you are in a home where they won't hit you or ignore your presence. You deserve love Max. I know it seems like you don't, but you do. I'll leave you to get her stuff in order and get ready for bed and meet you downstairs."

She stood up and left the room allowing Max to finish getting her stuff ready. She got changed into her pj's which were just some ratty booty shorts and an oversized shirt. the only thing she had from her first home, the parents that adopted her as a newborn.

She walked down the stairs and saw Emma, the town sheriff, Emma Swan. Unfortunately, her and Emma already knew each other from the three times Max had been caught shoplifting. She smiled sheepishly at Emma then at Mary Margaret.

"Hey Max, nice to see you again."

"Hello Miss Swan. How are you today?" Emma smiled at Max.

"Max I'm not going to judge you on things you've done in the past. You were struggling a lot and I understand that. Which is why I only ever drove you home." Emma went into the kitchen leaving Max and Mary Margaret alone in the living room.

"You ready to start with your homework?" Max nodded putting her books on the table and getting them out and sitting down.


	3. Chapter 3: The first morning

Chapter 3  
Mary Margaret knew that Max struggled in school but she never realized how much. Max wasn't able to read half as well as most of the kids in her grade could read. She struggled with books that most kids in grade 2 could read. She watched the young girl get frustrated with herself knowing that feeling all to well she ran upstairs and grabbed the little green thing. She came back down and put it on the paper were Max was reading.  
"Whats this?"  
"this is an eye highlighter. It's used for kids with learning disabilities, mostly for dyslexia." Max hung her head down then looked at the paper.  
"Oh wow, the words are staying still, how did you know i had a learning disability?"  
"I have the same one. I get how frustrating it can be." Max smiled up at her foster mom and went back to reading having less troubles as before. She gained some confidence so she asked to work on the subject she was the worst at, Science, knowing she would get to work on math afterwords, a subject that she was very good at. They worked the rest of the night until it was time for Max to go to bed. Mary Margaret followed Max up the stairs and to her bedroom, she tucked the young girl in bed.  
"Night Maxine. Ill see you in the morning for school."  
"Goodnight Mary Margaret. Thank you." The adult left the room and wandered down the stairs to find Emma sitting at the table with a drink.  
"Everything alright Em?"  
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" The blonde took a swig of the drink and put it on the table to refill it.  
"Because you only drink like that when something is bothering you." The dark haired lady sat down beside the blonde putting her hand on Emmas.  
"Why must you know me like that?" That made Mary chuckle to her self as Emma groaned and put the whiskey down. "If you must know, I'm just a little worried about Max. I've seen kids like that and it never ends well for them. I was her. I had the exact same problems." Mary Margaret sighed softly and looked at the younger girl.  
""I think everything will turn out just fine Emma. She's in a home where shell be treated right. She has two women to look up to to help her out in this crazy world. Whatever happens she has us and Henry by her side."  
"I suppose thats true. I just hope everything turns out for her. That she finds the happiness she deserves and maybe a family that will love her no matter what. That will want to adopt her." Mary smiled knowingly at the blonde.  
"You want the same thing for yourself don't you. Or you did for your younger self." Emma smiled at the teacher.  
"Goodnight Mary Margaret."  
"Goodnight Emma." The two adults went their separate ways to their rooms to get ready for bed. Mary Margaret got her lesson plan planned out for the next day and made sure her bag was packed with the things she needed. She laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She fell asleep thinking about the young girl now in her care that needed to be shown love.  
-the next day-  
"The brunette woke with a start after hearing the door close behind Emma downstairs. She looked around forgetting for a second about her home moving the previous night.  
When everything came back she smiled and got out of bed pulling a sweater on looking at the time. She looked down at the sweater she was wearing and realized right away that it was the one Emma let her borrow a couple weeks ago after finding her walking home in a rainstorm. She smiled more and pulled it closer to her as she walked down the stairs to find the bathroom.  
She got to the bottom step as she heard Emma say. "Oh right. Thats where my sweater went." Max looked up smiling sheepishly.  
"You can have it back if you want." Emma smiled and shook her head.  
"No you keep it. It looks better on you anyways." Max smiled and walked into the kitchen to get some water, Emma following her. "Mary is in the shower but she shouldn't be too much longer. Theres frozen waffles in the freezer and bacon and eggs on the stove for you. We always eat at 6 but we figured you wouldn't want to wake up that early."  
"Thank you Emma. It smells really good in here. My last foster parents only ever made breakfast for their biological kids and if the kid was under 3. After 3 you made your own bowl of cereal in the morning." Emma smiled and ruffled the kids hair as she went to pack lunches.  
"What do you want in your lunch today? We have leftover spaghetti from last night or we have left over lasagna or i can make you a sandwich." That made Max grin as she took a bite of her bacon.  
"I would love some left over lasagna if you don't mind. It's my favourite." Emma smiled and nodded putting the food in a container and putting it in a bag with some chips, carrots, yogurt and a juice box.  
""There you go Max, a perfect lunch." Max smiled as she started eating her eggs waiting for her waffles to pop up. She was thinking just how perfect this could get. Of course she wasn't going to let her guard down. It wouldnt last forever. She was putting her dishes in the dishwasher when Mary Margaret came out. "Your turn kiddo. We leave in 30 minutes." Max ran upstairs to grab her things and jumped in the shower. She pulled on her uniform which was somehow now clean and came out with her wet hair lying limply on her back. Emma came over and started brushing and braiding her hair as Max ate her waffles.  
"Thank you Emma!"  
"No problem kiddo. Now go grab your bag. You two will be leaving any minute."


	4. Chapter 4: The broken curse

_This chapter goes by really fast and the first plot twist is in it. I wanted to get past the story and the curse breaking as most of the stuff that will happen will happen during the season 2 time period with some of the points changing a bit._

Chapter 4  
Max ran up the stairs to her room. She was so happy she could say that. It was her room. Not her and another kids room, not just part of the attic but her room. She grabbed her school bag and took a look in the mirror. She for once didn't look like a total mess when she was leaving. Her hair was neatly against her back in a braid, her uniform had been cleaned and ironed, her backpack had even been patched up of any old holes.  
"Max please come down. We have to leave now!" Max bolted down the stairs and grabbed her binder. She looked up at her teacher and smiled.  
"I'm ready to go Miss B." The young dark haired woman followed the older dark haired woman down the stairs and to the car. They both climbed in and Mary Margaret headed towards school. They passed the town mayor, Regina Mills and her son Henry as they waited for the school bus. Henry looked up and waved as he normally did towards his teachers car but this time he saw a little head peaking out the back window. A very familiar face. Max waved shyly at her best friend and his mom. Regina was a very scary woman to every one else in town but she never seemed to scare max. They seemed to click like no one else did with either of them. Not even Henry, she felt bad sometimes because she got along with Henrys mom better than he did.  
"They pulled into the school parking lot and climbed out of the car.  
"You can either wait in the class with me or you can hang out outside until the bell rings. Henry and your classmates should be here any minute." Mary Margaret told Max as she was grabbing all of her stuff. Max nodded and turned to head into the yard. She sat on the bench her and Henry sat on before and after school and took out her book. She took the highlighter and started reading.  
"Wow i can't believe you're reading M." Max looked up and smiled at Henry  
"Yeah, Miss B gave me something to help me read. I really enjoy it actually. Oh hey Ms. Mills!" Max smiled and looked at Regina. Regina smiled down at the young lady.  
"Hi Maxine. How are you this morning?" Regina sat beside her looking down at the book. "I heard you got moved again last night. How are your new foster parents?" Max smiled putting the book down. Regina and Henry were the only people that knew she was a foster kid because Regina, being the mayor, knew more about her then she liked anyone to know. It was fine though, Regina was really kind about it all. She never judged Max for anyway she looked or acted.  
"Im actually quite happy with them. Well her. My new home is with Miss Blanchard." The dark haired girl looked up at the mayor with a smile on her face. "So far its pretty good actually. I had an actual breakfast this morning. Miss Swan even packed me a lunch."  
"Regina smiled looking down at the young girl who looked so much like her. "I'm glad you're happy kid. You deserve a good home." Regina struggled with her random urge to hold this girl, someone who looked so much like her and someone who had managed to steal her heart after one look. She looked like the daughter that Regina had before Rumple took her away.  
"Miss Mills-"  
"Regina. I don't mind you calling me Regina hunny."  
"Regina, could Henry come over after school? Or can I come over?" Regina smiled at her softly.  
"ill talk to Miss Blanchard about it now then ill pick you two up after school." Both 10 year olds whooped with glee high fiving each other around Regina grinning. They sat and talked as Regina went off to find the school teacher.  
"We need to look through the book and figure out where Cinderella is. I heard Emma talking about Ashley last night and I think that is who is Cinderella." Max rambled on to Henry who light up at that thought. "I mean it makes sense since she works as a maid at the inn. She's also pregnant like Cinderella was when the curse hit." Henry nodded then looked down thoughtfully.  
I've been thinking about who you could be Max. I think maybe you're-" Just as he was about to say the school bell went off and Mary Margaret came out to collect her class. "I think you are my moms daughter! Her daughter was born with the same eye and hair colour and there is to much in common in looks." Max looked over at Henry with a puzzled look on her face as they walked up to Mary Margaret.  
"So, Rumple took me from Regina and when the curse hit when I was 10 I was thrown into the system? I mean it could totally work." Henry nodded excitedly as the teacher walked over.  
"What are my two dreamers talking about today? Someone new from your book?" Both kids nodded excitedly.  
"Henry thinks I might be Reginas daughter! The one that Rumplestiltskin took away!" Mary Margaret frowned at that. She didn't like the idea that the poor kid in front of her was the mayors daughter. She knew she had a close bond with the woman and they looked a lot a like but the whole story book thing was crazy. "Let's go into class guys."

-A few weeks later-

"Maxine! Lets go kid! I gotta get you to Regina's before the shift! You and Henry better get your buts down here!" The two ten year old best friends ran down the stairs full force as Emma went to bite into an apple turnover but before she could get one Henry had grabbed it from her hand. "Emma no!"  
"Emma that is poisoned! I know you got it from my mom!" Emma shook her head at the kids. She sighed looking a them. Henry could tell that she didn't believe them so he took a bite to show her. As he did he fell to the floor unconscious!  
"HENRY!" Both women dove down to him to try and wake him up. Emma called 911 quickly, the paramedics arrived and the boy and his mom were at the hospital quickly. Max sighed and sat on the couch pulling her knees up to her chest.

-At the hospital-

"No Henry!" There was screaming as the two women stared at their dead son. Emma walked over and kissed his forehead whispering how much she loved him. As she did a light flew out across the town and Henry sat up gasping. "I love you too mom."

-That night at Mary Margarets-

"The little family of four now reunited walked into the loft after saving Regina's ass. They had temporarily forgotten about the young girl currently living there until they heard the sniffling and whimpering. Emma and Henry ran into the living room and gasped seeing the girl on the floor in the corner hugging her knees rocking back and forth shaking her head eyes closed.  
"Maxine! Max! Sweetheart!" Emma pulled the girl into her arms causing the girl to scream and jump away from her. She whipped her head around the room trying to figure out where she was. "Max you need to take a deep breath. What do you remember hunny?"  
"Rumple… he's coming back… I need to escape… I need to get out of here…" The adults all looked at each other knowingly then looked at Henry who was grinning!  
"Max lets go! We're going to see mom!" Maxine looked up at Henry then relaxed seeing her best friend. Her head trying to wrap around the word 'Mom'. Her mom. The storybook. Her story. She was Reginas kid. "Mom needs you come on! Lets go see our mom!"  
"Our mom…" Max felt a hand helping her up and she glanced up at Mary Margaret. "I have a mom? Will you take us to see her?" Mary smiled and sighed sadly. She didn't want either of the kids seeing her but knew it was best for Max to see her mother. She nodded lightly and drove the two kids to the angry mayors house. She knocked as Max gripped her hand tightly. They heard Regina muttering about going away and leaving her alone until she opened the door.  
"Mom!" Both kids running forward and wrapping their arms around the mayors waist. She stumbled back looking down at them. Her son and his best friend who just called her mom. The little girl who she who looked like her. The little girl who called her mom. She shook her head until Henry showed Regina the page showing a picture of Max's story and there was a small gasp.


	5. Chapter 5: MacKenzie who?

Chapter 5

Max looked up at her mother who was struggling to wrap her head around the fact that her only biological child was standing right in front of her. She was smiling up at her with her bright smile and bright brown eyes. Her face had filled out a little since she was being taken care of by Mary Margaret. The girl she had seen laying on hospital beds hooked up to machines beaten to a pulp. This caused Regina to pull the young girl protectively into her arms and cradle her head.

"MacKenzie. You're alive." The little girl nodded into her mothers embrace.

"Rumple took me and I lived with him for 10 years. 10 awful years. Momma I want to come home… I want to be with you again please. Please don't send me back to him. I promise ill be good this time. I promise to behave and listen to the rules and do exactly as told and-" She stopped talking when her mom put her finger under her chin to make her look up at her.

"MacKenzie you will never go back there. You belong with me. I never sent you away. He took away from me and I never got you back. I love you." Max furrowed her brows looking down then back at her.

"My name is Maxine not MacKenzie. Oh well I guess Maxine was my cursed name?"

"Yes that's right. MacKenzie is your birth given name. I'm assuming Rumple never called you by your name?" She frowned at the girl shaking her head looking down. She shifted between two feet. Mary Margaret started backing out of the yard to give the kids and their mother some space until Regina stopped her by calling out her name. "Snow!"

"Yes Regina?" Regina walked over to the younger girl and shook her hand.

"Thank you for taking good care of my daughter Snow. I really appreciate it." They knew that no matter what it was going to take a lot of getting used to but Regina was grateful to the woman for taking care of her daughter and showing her love for the last 3 weeks. Snow nodded and walked back to her car to wait for the kids. Regina looked down at the two most important people in her world. Henry looked apprehensive, scared at knowing what she was capable of doing to his other mom and grandparents. Max looking up at her in a mix of fear and excitement. "I'm assuming Emma only let you come because of Max? She made it pretty clear to me that I'm not allowed to be alone with you."

"I'm not entirely sure if I want to be here but Max needed to see you wanted her. She needed that mom. We are going to stay with Emma and Mary Margaret for now." Regina felt her heart plummet as she looked at the two kids who took a step back. Her mouth formed to a tight line and she gave a brisk nod making sure both kids knew she understood and would step back. No matter how much it killed her, she wouldn't show it to them. They needed to feel safe again.

"Who is my father?" The little voice made her jump and look down at the ten year old's who were leaving. "Is he here?"

"You… your father… he's gone sweetheart…" Max nodded looking down and got into her teachers car. Mary Margaret looked back at the girl.

"We will find out. I'll look through the book and see if I can see when she was pregnant with you and who she was with." The small girl nodded her head, her dark brown curls framing her pale face bouncing with the movement. The bouncing looked familiar but she couldn't quite place it as she drove the kids home. As she pulled up both kids got out and bolted up the three flights of stairs and upstairs where they closed the door to MacKenzies room and hid away. The three adults looked at each other sighing. "It's not going to be easy to deal with this is it? They're going to struggle with all of this. Both of them have just been dealt a pretty harsh blow."

"I agree but they need to talk to us. I get how both of them are feeling, like they aren't important, that no one cares because their own parents don't want them around." Emma glanced up at her roommate turned mother and couldn't miss the flash of pain in her eyes. "Its not an easy feeling to struggle with. But it does get better." Mary Margaret nodded curtly and turned around and went to her bed closing the curtain behind her to get some space. That had felt like she had been stabbed in the gut and couldn't quite catch her breath.

"Emma tha-"

"Was the truth. I'm sorry David but it is. For 28 years I've had nobody and felt like you never wanted me. It hurts more knowing you wanted me but couldn't have me. I can guarantee that's how Maxi- MacKenzie is feeling right now. I'm not trying to hurt either of you but you need to let me figure this out and not push me right now." With that Emma went up the stairs and closed her door leaving David standing in the kitchen on his own in complete silence.

It had been a couple of weeks since the curse broke and nobody really felt safe with magic back and both Rumple and the Evil Queen out and free. The Charming's had kept Max with them, always knowing where her and Henry were. That was until that evening. The kids had been sharing a room and Henry had been downstairs with his mother talking, max upstairs avoiding everyone like she always did. When Henry went up to bed the adults all looked up as Henry yelled for his mother and appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Max isn't in our room! She's gone! Her phone and her backpack are missing!" That caused all three adults to jump up, the book falling from Snows lap where she had been reading it. They all ran upstairs to check the entire loft for the young girl. When she wasn't found and Henry had been sent to the living room David and Emma got their coats on and headed out to search for her. Snow picked up the storybook and looked at the page it had fallen open to. That's when she saw the part of the book she had been looking for. The time period when Regina was pregnant. Everything came back to Snow and she dropped the book gasping.

"Grandma? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We need to go find Max. Le'ts go." Henry followed his grandmother confused as they climbed in her car.

"Mom said I had to stay here with you. Where are we going?"

"To see your mother."


	6. Chapter 6: Running away seems easier

_ive just started a new story and am in the middle of midterms so if i dont update again until the weekend im sorry. also if you have any guesses who her father is comment them or message me so i can see who may be right!_

Chapter 6

"What do you mean to see my mother? Grandma where are we going?"

Mary Margaret shook her head silently and pulled into my moms driveway. She stalked to the door and banged on the door. Henry followed her silently looking between her and the door she was abusing. Finally the door flung open and Regina opened it and snarled.  
"What the hell?! Stop trying to bash my door down! What do you want Mary Margaret?!" That made Snow even more mad as she took a step towards the mayor.

"My name is not Mary Margaret. My name is Snow White. Where is she? Shes missing. This is where she would come. Here or your vault to try and get some answers." Regina shook her head taking a step back.

"What are you on about Snow? Where is who? Who is- YOU LOST MY DAUGHTER?!" That made Henry and Snow take a step back eyes wide now realizing Regina had nothing to do with it. "My daughter is out there missing and you are here blaming me?! In front of my son?!" Henry stepped forward.

"Mom. She didn't mean it like that. It is something that you would have done in the past. Don't deny it." That made everyone go silent as Regina held up a ball of fire to scare Snow away when they all heard a scream. One that made all 3 freeze knowing exactly who it came from.

-1 hour earlier in Max's bedroom-

MacKenzie couldn't sit there and listen to the Charming family talk about how amazing it was they were back together when she was being forced away from her only family. Why wasn't her mother being open with her and why wouldn't she say who her father was? She decided she would do what she knew best. Run. She grabbed her backpack and threw her phone and jacket in it and opened the window. She knew if she went down the fire escape and jumped the last story she should be out scot free as long as the fire escape didn't sway to much. Max tentatively sat on the window sill and swung her legs out the window her feet landing quietly on the steps of the fire escape. She pulled herself up to hold on to the ladder and slowly found herself descending the rungs. The jump to the ground was quiet except for one pop can which she knew wouldn't raise any suspicions. With one last glance up to the only place she had ever felt at home at she ran off into the night.

-current time-

"MAX!" She heard someone screaing her name as the world came forward to her quickly. She had heard somene scream. Had it been her? Her hands barely caught her before her face smashed into the concrete causing a sickening crunching sound when her wrist gave out underneath her. The sounds of footsteps got closer and she pushed herself up wincing at the pain in her wrist and the back of her head. She looked up to see her mother, foster mother and best friend running towards her. Where had he gone? Normally he went further than just knocking her to the ground. The 15 year old must have seen the others coming and ran. Rumples little minion didn't half ass anything. Even when he was her bully in school during the curse. Regina fell to her knees right in front of her confused looking daughter.

"Max what happened? Who was that?" Regina placed her hand on MacKenzies cheek but was shocked and recoiled when Max pulled her head out of her grasp.

"It was no one. Don't worry about him. He comes and goes."  
"Max why did you run? Why didn't you say anything?" Snow asked kneeling in front of her. "We were all really worried about you." The scoff coming from the 10 year old shocked everyone around her.

"Really? Cause ever since the curse broke you and Emma have been avoiding being around me like I was the goddamn plague. I get it. Im your enemies kid but at least don't keep me away from my only family member. Im not a charming. I'm not part of your stupid little family and trust me. Garrett wont let me forget it. I don't need your pity or sympathy. It wouldn't be the first time a foster parent got sick of me and I ended up on the street."

"MacKenzie! Snow has done nothing but show you love and acceptance! I may not be her biggest fan but I know she would never purposely ignore you or make you feel unwanted." Regina cut in stopping the young girl before she said anything she may regret saying to her foster mother. "She kept you because im not safe. I need to prove that I can keep you and Henry. Which I am trying." Emma and David pulled up and got out of the cruiser eyeing snow and henry oddly.

"Oh look. Here comes your kid. Thanks for trying. Im fine on my own." Emma rolled her eyes and grabbed the kids elbow shooting a glance at her family before dragging her away and sitting her down on the bench.

"Trust me kid. I know how you feel. Like no one gives a crap. Like youre just a waste of space and don't want to intrude on our 'little family' but like it or lump it you are part of it. This little tough kid act doesn't faze me. I was you. I get it but trust me when I say we all just want to help you and are not going to let you live on your own. Not with Rumple out there and knowing your past. Give it up kid. Youre coming home with us." Max rolled her eyes and flicked her middle finger up to Emma.

David and Snow helped her into the car not letting her go until she was safely buckled her into her seat. They drove everyone home. The pain in Max's wrist was going away and as Mary Margaret put a bowl of soup in front of her and handed her a spoon Max flinched as she tried to maneuver the spoon from the bowl to her mouth. A flinch she was hoping would go unnoticed but not for her.

"Max. Are you injured? Is your wrist alright?" Max nodded which caused the pain in the back of her head to flare up causing her to gasp dropping the spoonful of hot soup on her lap. Emma who had just walked in saw the gasp and grabbed a cold cloth quickly for Max to press against her leg as Snow checked the girls wrist and head and decided they needed to go to the hospital.

"NO!" Was the only response they got before Max's world went black.


	7. Chapter 7: Family tree

_AN, sorry about the shortness of this chapter as i have been struggling with school and working. I also have a small_ _bit of writers block with this story and need some advice on what to make happen. ive decided that its not gonna follow the timeline of the show as certain things wont happen._

* * *

There was complete and utter panic as Max fell from her chair and straight on to the floor. Mary Margaret ran over to her foster daughters side and caught her head before it could smash on to the ground. Emma had grabbed her cellphone and called the ambulance which showed up quite quickly and they got Max into the van with Mary Margaret at her side.

* * *

Emma had been pacing around the waiting room after quickly calling Regina and making sure henry was safe with David in bed. Regina bolted into the waiting room as Dr Whale stepped out.

"Maxine-"

"MacKenzie. Her real name is MacKenzie."

"Alright. MacKenzie is alright. She has a broken wrist and a nasty cut on the back of her head. She was lucky enough to not get a concussion however she should avoid any strenuous activities for the next couple weeks."

All three women nodded and followed the doctor into the room where Max was laid. She had an IV on attached to her arm. Regina sat beside her and took her hand.

"Mom… I want out… I don't want to be here anymore…" The black haired girl muttered as she noticed her mother sitting beside her.

"Soon darling. They need to make sure that you aren't going to pass out again before they will let you go."

"Alright…"

"Darling why didn't you say anything to any of us when we got to you? Why did you wait until you were in so much pain your body fainted?"

There was silence from the 10 year old who did nothing but close her eyes turning her head. Emma sighed sitting beside her mother who had sat on the other side of the girls bed.

"Because no body wants a sick kid…" Emma muttered which caused both royals to snap their heads at her. "No body wants a kid who is hurt."

Max nodded slightly looking up at Emma.

"No body wants a foster kid who is going to cause trouble or cost money." The young girl said with a little more confidence. She looked over at her foster mother who looked heart broken.

"I told you Max. I will not give you up just because you're sick. The only way you are leaving my house is if and when Regina is ready to share custody of you and you will be at hers."

Regina just smiled and looked down at her daughter who looked so small with the black cast on her arm in the hospital bed. She closed her eyes briefly trying to blink back the tears as she realized what her daughter had been put through because of this curse. Because she wanted some petty revenge on Snow White.

A nurse came in and started to ask questions for her case.

"Fathers name?" She asked looking at Regina who with a small shrug and wave of her hand said "Leopold."

Emmas eyes widened as she looked down at the girl on the bed then back to Regina. The nurse nodded and left the room leaving a silence as all the women tried to compute what had just happened.

"MacKenzie is my aunt?" Emma asked with a small confused twinge in her voice.

"What… oh yeah I guess she is. She's Snows half sister so yeah that's true." Regina said waving the confusion off.

Max stared up at her mother blinking slowly. Her father was king Leopold. Snow Whites father. She was Snow Whites sister. Her head turned to look at her foster mother who had a bored expression on her face.

"Mary Margaret you don't look surprised by this."

"Well I kind of already knew. Henry had asked me to look through the book to see if I could remember anything and I realized it not long after you had ran off. I remember Regina being pregnant but never saw the baby but for some reason never thought about where the baby had gone. My father never knew about it."

Max frowned sitting up so she could look at her mother more clearly. She was confused as to why she wasn't allowed to know who her father was then she gasped. Of course her mother didn't want her to know because who would want their kid to have to ever be compared to the fairest of them all. Her sister was the fairest of them all. Her sister was her foster mother and her teacher.

"What does this mean now? What am I supposed to call you cause it cant be Mary Margaret cause that's not your real name. It would be weird calling you Snow at school when your teaching me and I don't really see me calling you mom…"

Snow frowned at this realization then smiled.

"At home I am Snow. At school I am Miss Blanchard. Simple" Max seemed to agree with this as she nodded her head.

Emma started laughing which caused everyone in the room to look at her. They had no idea what could be so funny in a moment like this.

"Emma. Now is really not the time to be laughing." Snow reprimanded slightly at her daughter.

"Sorry but this just keeps getting weirder. Think about our family tree for a moment. Regina is your step mom. She has two daughters. You and your sister Max but she also has Henry. Henry is my biological son but he is also my adopted uncle. Max is your foster daughter but also your sister. Which means she's my aunt. She's also Reginas daughter and foster granddaughter."

Emma managed to get out quickly before breaking down in laughter again. Snow stopped and looked over at Regina and the two of them broke down laughing. The only one who didn't start laughing was Max.

"You better never make us do our family trees in class Snow or me and Henry will go on strike." MacKenzie said in full seriousness which caused Snow to turn to her foster daughter and nod.

"I think that would be considered torture if I ever did that." She agreed which caused all four girls to laugh once again at the ridiculousness of their situation.


	8. Chapter 8: The Breakdown

_hey guys I'm so sorry about not uploading. i have had a rough week and am currently super into Twilight fan-fiction._

 _please review._

 _also MalTheDragonQueen: i really tried to take your advice about max not taking it very well so this chapter is for you.i know it happens suddenly instead of slow-burn but i have something else slow-burning right now so i don't wanna add another thing_

* * *

Max got out of her bed slowly and listened down the stairs to the Charming's talking downstairs. She sighed and sat down on the chair adjacent to the desk. She pulled out her journal that her social worker suggested she use to write her feelings.

She opened it to the last page she had wrote in and looked down at all the incoherent scribbles. MacKenzie subconsciously tore the page out of the book and started ripping it to shreds. Her mind blanked a little bit as her hands started grabbing pages from her journal and tearing them up.

It wasn't until Snow had heard the screams starting that she finally saw bits of paper coming down the stairs.

"Max?" She asked stepping at the bottom of the staircase.

"NO!" Snow jumped at the voice. "My fault! It's all my fault! She doesn't love me! She can't!"

Snow bolted up the stairs and around the corner to see Max sitting in a pile of shredded paper clutching her hair knees pulled up to her chest. She gasped when she saw the scissors next to the girl and the small amount of blood on the floor.

"EMMA!" She hollered down at her daughter who came whipping up the stairs. "I need a wash cloth, some sanitizer wipes, some bandages and a broom."

Emma grabbed all the things for her mother as she kneeled in front of the younger girl.

"Max… sweetheart… I need you to calm down my love…" She held her hands out in front of her as if trying not to scare a frightened animal. Max looked up at her with her face stained with tears and her eyes red.

"Snow… she hates me… it was my fault… how does she not hate me…" The small voice coming from the normally confident young woman. Snow sighed as she sat down and pulled the girl closer to her and into her arms. She knew this was coming. The breakdown.

Max hadn't reacted to the whole situation properly after learning about her past. Snow knew eventually it would catch up to her but she didn't know what caused it. Her eyes flitted around the hallway at the papers and saw the binding of the journal.

"Oh max… your journal…" She cooed running her hands through the black curls.

Emma returned with the stuff and sat beside the duo. She took the younger girls arm into her hands and shook her head lightly. Using the damp cloth she cleaned up the blood around the cuts and then used the wipes to sanitize them.

The alcohol wipes caused the young girl to hiss and retract her arm from the blonds grasp.

"Emma!" She whipped her head at the woman beside her. "I'm fine!" Emma shook her head.

"Max. Please don't start this. Hurting yourself will only make it harder and you will regret it later on. Trust me on this please." Max stared up into the blue eyes and studied them trying to find the lies in them but found nothing.

She nodded and put her hand back in front of Emma so she could finish cleaning it and bandaging it.

Her mind was running a million miles a minute as she tried to figure out what had just happened. She looked around her at the floor of the hallway and the staircase. She got on to all four and slowly picked up pieces of paper.

She could only see little pieces of writing but instantly knew what happened.

"I did this… I tore all my papers… my journal." She whispered and sat back on her heels turning her head to look at the two women who were watching her. "I think I blacked out…"

Snow nodded lightly.

"And you were muttering 'She hates me… its my fault'. Do you know what that means?" Her brows furrowed together while she thought.

"Rumple told me that it was my fault… that my… mom didn't want me. That she decided I wasn't good enough."

Snow sighed and held her hand out for her. Max looked between the two women and stood up brushing her pants off.

"Max… you didn't do anything wrong please believe me." Max just stared at her then shook her head her eyes narrowing.

"Yes I did. Clearly she decided I wasn't good enough because I don't have powers like her. I'm not special or important. That's why she didn't look for me when Rumplestiltskin stole me! Because she didn't care enough about me or my wellbeing!" The last her paragraph came out as a scream as she slowly started to break down again.

"My mom decided I wasn't good so she gave up on trying to find me and she will again! She'll realize I'm worse than she thought and she'll stop trying to get better. I'm going to ruin this for Henry and he'll hate me just like everyone else eventually does!"

Emma pulled the raven haired girl into her arms as Max started shaking from the sobs that were wracking through her body. The little girl just wrapped herself up in her arms and sobbed into the blonds body.

Her breathing eventually fell into a deep regular pattern which indicated she had cried herself to sleep. Mary Margaret had went down and gotten David who came up and took the girl from his daughters arms and swiftly tucked the girl into her bed.

Snow grabbed the broom and slowly cleaned up the journal pieces and the blood. David walked past her and noticed the absent look in his wife's eyes. He motioned to Emma to grab the broom and gently took Snow's hand and lead her downstairs towards her room.

He sighed and sat down on the bed as he pulled her into his arms cradling her.

"Mary Margaret… love… Snow… Snow White!" He called and her head snapped up to meet his blue eyes. "This is not your fault. What happened to that little girl-"

"My sister! That 'little girl' is my little sister Charming! My sister who was kidnapped and held hostage! Who never got to meet our father! Who I couldn't save…" She had stood herself up from his lap but fell back on the bed beside him. "I couldn't save her and now she's really hurt… not only have I failed my sister but I'be also failed my daughter…"

She muttered into the pillow and pulled the covers over herself.

"Snow. I am not going to let you feel sorry for yourself." She said nothing and buried farther into the pillow.

* * *

It had been three weeks since the breakdown. Snow hadn't left her bed much except to go to the washroom and eat. Max had holed herself up in her room after noticing Snow and blaming herself.

Emma finally decided to tell them off. She had gathered some people to basically have an intervention to get Snow out of bed. So Red, Granny, the dwarves, Charming, Emma and Henry all gathered in the living room after telling Snow to meet them in the living room for lunch.

Snow walked into the living room after seeing everyone she turned to leave but was caught by Red who had grabbed her arm.

"Snow. You need to talk. Just ignoring it and hiding in your room is not my best friend. My best friend would have gotten her shit together and gone up into that little girls room and gotten her out of her funk."

"Snow, wolfie is right." Grumpy spoke standing up. "You don't hole up in your room avoiding everyone. Get yourself together sister. And be there for your sister and daughter!"

Snow turned to look at Emma who was sitting beside Granny looking down at the ground. She slowly looked up at her mother and smiled with watery eyes.

"Mary Margaret… please come back to us…" She asked quietly. "Max needs her older sister to be strong while she deals with all the crap going on in her life…"

Snow looked around at her family and flopped down on the couch next to her best friend. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap.

She thought back to the past two weeks and to the breakdown.

"Okay… you're right…" She looked up at everyone then made eye contact with her husband before nodding and standing.

She made her way up the stairs after giving everyone a hug as they left and knocked lightly on Max's door.

"Hey kid…" She heard a heart breaking sniffle and then a small voice telling her to go away. "No way. I'm not going away."

"Well its not like you've cared in the past two weeks what I do…" Max muttered back to her foster parent/older sister/teacher.

Snow opened the door to find her on the ground staring at the storybook.

"You knew I was born… you knew I was gone but didn't try either…"


End file.
